Greg Sankey reveals his biggest concern with the current way of transfers

The transfer portal is unrecognizable from when SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey began his time as the conference’s leader in 2015. Earlier this week, the 58-year-old executive discussed his biggest concern with the constantly evolving issue.

“I sat in a couple of meetings with football players on campus who said, ‘I transferred before name, image and likeness,'” Sankey recalled on a recent episode of “The Joel Klatt Show.” “‘Nobody told me about the impact on my academic options.’ When you transfer, not every credit transfers, you may not be able to enroll in the program you seek. We’ve always had concerns about players being directed into majors.

“If you go back to those last four weeks of the mid-year portal, where those people were having those whispers in the third parties and the influencers and the agents, I don’t know of anybody who said, ‘Wow, they really helped me understand my academic reality before I made the decision.'”

That’s right. Sankey’s most pressing fear regarding the portal has nothing to do with activity on the field, but instead everything to do with success in the classroom. Sankey’s concerns are understandable.

While fans focus on the highlight plays and top draft picks, that isn’t the reality for most collegiate players. In fact, just 1.6% of NCAA Division I Football players will make it to the NFL, according to Sportskeeda.

Sankey wants to ensure the other 99% is taken care of.

“What are we going to do with the 97% or whatever the NCAA number is that don’t go pro or don’t have that attachment? Are we fostering their lifelong development? I don’t see that being talked about anywhere substantively.

“And I think one of the reasons why is even as I speak this I know there are people listening saying, guy makes a bunch of money he’s commissioned on the Southeastern Conference. He just wants to play football games. Not what I said on my press conference is after, you know, 15 years or so of this work, when I look back was asked about legacy. I want young people who at that point will be in their late 30’s down to the early 20’s to say, ‘I’m glad he led because he impacted me in a positive way,'” Sankey said.

Sankey will focus on educating athletes on how the portal will affect their academics. While the conference commissioner admits there’s work to be done, he’s proud of the SEC’s impact on athletes.

“We can all find the negative stories. But the vast, vast majority of young people that walk through here magnify their opportunities.”